Two Ways Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile is Driving New Trends
An anxiety riddled world swoons at the thought of missing out on anything. We’ve become so “real-time” we are threatened at the thought of anything happening without us.
But real-time is what the world has come to expect:
It’s stated that:
- 81% of smartphone users check work email on the weekend
- 55% read their email after 11PM on weekdays
- 59% read their emails during holidays
Gen Y is even more connected – it’s estimated:
- Over 50% check their smartphone during meals (i.e. yes, most of us during a date as well)
- Over 75% check their smartphone in bed at night (your partner really does want you to stop)
- Over 20% text while driving (we’ve really got to stop this)
It’s what some have long realized; the end of work life balance and the reality of work life integration.
Through this pervasive connectedness there are two over-arching trends that have emerged over the last few years and are most relevant for businesses.
Knowledge is a Commodity
Knowledge is the new commodity. Anyone can learn anything (almost) from anywhere. It’s just a matter of time – not a matter of access and most of it’s free.
Being able to access this knowledge to make decisions on the go is something we take for granted and so do our customers. They assume we’ll know the answers when they ask us – and why should location stop us from anything?
Insights that make the connections between knowledge points is the only thing that remains to bring value. Creativity and time are now by far our most valuable assets.
Our customers assume we will know they answers and they also assume they can get them from us right away. Which leads me to the next point.
Decentralization of Everything Including Decision Making
The internet decentralized information and decentralized power. And the data explosion is decentralizing decision making. The world now works way too fast for centralized decision making. For corporate organizations to keep up – decentralization is a key strategy.
The agile manifesto also advocated that individuals on the ground (the actual experts in the field) make decisions on the go. That’s only become relevant because the individuals are receiving information in real-time and are able to make those decisions on the go.
How the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile Client Enables Knowledge on the Ground
The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 mobile client enables individuals on the ground to make decisions real time based on without the need to roll up. Four ways Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 does this:
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile Enables Visibility in Sales & Custom Entities
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides individuals on the ground access to accounts, contacts, leads, opportunities, notes and competitor information
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile Enables Multi-Entity Search
- The new Microsoft Dynamics CRMmobile client is the only client that allows for multi-entity search (think search more like Google; search many things at once)
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile Enables Business Processes
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows individuals to easily to work through the business processes that are set out for them. If the client’s ready to go the next stage, the salesperson will know where the customer needs to go next from the mobile client.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile Enables Quick Create Forms
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile enables quick create forms to be easily extended into the mobile client. Quick entry – that’s where it’s at.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Enables the Information to Flow Automatically
A key aspect of making the knowledge and data accessible by all and enabling decentralized decision making is the ability to roll-out changes to the system in real-time.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 does this primarily by enabling the user interface to get shared out through the responsive design (so you don’t need to customize the mobile interface – it will do it automatically).
Here’s an example.
The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 web UI (user interface) automatically transfer itself into a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Mobile Client interface.
Another one of the ways the mobile client allows decentralized decision making is through the ability to drill-down into the mobile client.
The question you need to answer is how will your organization cope with the fact that informed decisions need to be made on the ground? How will you manage the customer’s expectations that they’ll have immediate answers to the their questions?
The future is where the special forces on the ground, the customer service agent on the phone or the salesperson will all be determining the strategies and the tactics in real-time in order to meet the situation’s needs. It will management’s responsibility to provide them the tools they need.
As knowledge and decision making are more decentralized more power will reside with the individual on the ground then we ever anticipated. Equip your people well and hire well.
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